Sparks were created as swords grind the edges. The glow of their aura illuminated the Duke's rage-turned face.

“A FOREIGNER! You dirty my city with your stench!?” The duke pushed Drac’s sword away with a slash downward evaded by the man in black. With a reverse grip, Drac attacked the head. A gold-gilded sword guarded against it. Drac pushed the Duke again to the wall. Wood broke, and the duke’s audience box shook.

“Woah there, gentlemen!”

The Fighters look up. An old man of wavy black and grey hair looked down on them with a smile.

“Mind if you fight somewhere else.” The old man tapped the wooden structure. “I don't want to end up falling in a heap of wood.”

Drac is confused.

An aura-enhanced backfist rocked Drac. His chin flew him over the seats. He fell on chairs, breaking many on the way down. He rolled and bounced before he hit the last level before the sand pit. Drac tried to stand and get his bearings. He held onto the brick wall before the pit, breathing hard. Chin in pain.

Don't get distracted by old men, farmboy.

The Duke jumped. His sword blazed with energy, and Swug down on Drac. Drac rolls to the left. The duke caught up with a horizontal slash. A crouch to dodge, Drac swings up. Duke Danor evaded and swung down. The hood hopped away, and an explosion of stone where he fought. The Duke caught up. Another horizontal slash. Blocked by a reverse grip. Drac dragged the gold sword over him to the left. A dash inside got Drac close for a jab.

Danor moves his head away. Leaning, he tried a slice. A mark left on Drac's chest trickles blood.

They separate.

The Duke took to a defensive stance, a two-handed style with the grip close to his cheek. Drac flipped his sword to any orthodox grip, going low. A charged aura jump brought Drac close in a moment. A downward slash turn into a horizontal slice from the right. The strike is guarded. The hood retracts his blade. Three jabs hit Danor’s sword. Heilong is aimed at the Duke’s knee. About to be blocked the strike transforms into an upward slice to the Danor's left shoulder.

William Danor's aura surges. Drac backs away.

“Your dirty hands dare perform the way of the snake? Like a disease, you poison everything you touch. Like a rat, you take scraps of what is not yours. I will show you the real snake, meant to swallow rats whole.”

The Duke drew many S in the air. His sword danced, high and low. Side to side in a strange motion. Drac returned to his reverse grip with a flip of the sword.

Danor paused.

DODGE!

Danor appeared with an aura slash where Drac was standing. Aura destroyed everything in the way. Stone smoulders and wood caught fire. The Duke of Foushire pounced again. Several aura thrusts came to the man in black’s way. Drac retreated, dodging blasts of aura by inches. The jacket is singed by the heat of the attacks. Drac backs into a seat. A Slash of immense power came down.

USE MAGIC YOU FOOL!

Drac blocked with a sword and Murus. The weight of the strike bared down on him. Legs nearly buckled. With a growl, Drac flared his aura, pushing back Danor.

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Danor lifted his sword. He stepped in while Drac's arms were up. From the right, Danor swung on Drac's exposed body.

Bob rested his hand on his great sword. His eyes were on the smoke in the distance, while a soft amber light radiated out to the escapees. The former slaves walked on the bridge back to the safe zone. Till they reached there, Bob was on guard duty. A captive dropped to the ground. Legs wobbled, and the man used his weak arm to lift himself off the pavement. A calloused hand held the man.

Just a few metres. You are so close. A fire grew in the man’s eyes. He nodded. Pulling the weak man up, Bob sent a little of holy power. The leaping became full strides. Exited the weak man walked faster, a smile spread on their gaunt face. He turned back to Bob.

“Just a few metres-

An arrow hit the former slave in the chest.

Bob’s granite face fissued. A unit of the city guard, black fabric tied to their arms, found them. Crossbows rain arrows on the rescuers, injuring the former captives in the process.

“Behind Me!” Bob’s giant shield was unhooked from his back. He stabbed it into the bridge road.

“Bring him here!” The rescuers followed Bob's command. The weak slave was dragged behind the wall of shields. Rescuers removed the arrow. Bob healed the half-dead man. His chest moved with life. Men, Women and children cower. Rescuers braced their hearts for the end. Bobs started his counterattack.

Bob shouts, “Men, Women. Take my strength and fight!”

Behind the great shield, Bob held an up hand. Amber light swirled. Bob’s holy power built up within him. His god believes in him.

He sensed something.

Someone.

The holy power built up more. The light was blinding. Almost too much for Bob to handle.

He released the energy. Allies strengthened. Former slaves healed and rejuvenated. The fire in the eyes grew from a smoulder to an inferno. They roar with primal anger.

The rescuers charge.

Marina held Murus on her left and Ignis on her right. Behind the blue, the wounded groan. Outside the light of blue was chaos and mayhem, hell brought to Tralor. Its demons hit the Murus; cracks form from aura strikes. Marina was determined to climb out of the depths of the netherworld.

She tuned into Ignis, and spread her reach outside the wall. Many slave guards caught fire. The screams hurt Marina's ears. The noise is cut short by a slim sword dancing through bodies. Burn enemies collapsed in pieces of meat. A lean muscled woman in leather armour stepped over to greet the fair lady in the green dress.

“You look so cute. Drac sure is a lucky boy.”

“Maki! First of all, shut up. Second, it does look good, doesn't it? I got it a few months ago. And third, where are my vambraces?”

Maki’s assistant threw up a package over the blue transparent wall. Marina caught them with a groan and grinned wide. “I missed you so much.”

Maki asked, “Where is my little brother?”

“I dunno.” Marina’s attention was on unwrapping the vambrace. She put them on one by one. “Look for the sliced necks.”

A second Drac blocked the devastating strike. A third swipes at Danor, making him retreat.

“Finally using your strange magic, huh? Show me. Show me how you defeated Alfred!”

The Dracs disappeared. Danor dashed in sword twisting. A sword blocked to the left side. A Drac appears, and their Heilong strikes low. Danor hastily meets the sword. The original Drac sliced is downward. The duke’s armoured right shoulder chipped. Blood leaked on broken steel.

Danor retreated again. His face was calm as he noticed his injury.

“Finally.”

Farmboy. This man is not like Cal. Drac felt Hood’s fear.

William gripped his gold gilded sword tight.

“That power, the tricks. Show it all.”

He is the real deal, a warrior like in the stories.

The Duke’s aura exploded outward, ripping stone and wood. The energy flowed all around, Danor collected.

“SHOW ME HOW YOU DEFEATED MY COUSIN. AND I WILL SMASH IT ALL!”

The duke assumed a two-hand stance, sword brought back for a powerful attack.

He is near the pinnacle.

Danor slashed.

A bright crescent flew towards Drac, all within its range, wasted.